Girl Meets Love
by Bea1716
Summary: Riley's parents want Riley to go try and understand what love is.
1. Chapter 1

Girl Meets Love

Disclaimer: I do not own Girl Meets World

Riley and Lucas- Rucas

"Bye Farkle! See you at school, Isadora!" Riley waved to her friends as they walked away, hand in hand. Riley was so happy for Farkle. She loved him like a brother, and she had always known that he was in love with her, but even before she started liking Lucas she knew that he would never be that way to her. So it was really nice to see that Farkle had found someone who loved him. Riley practically bounced up the stairs to her apartment. She knocked and her little brother opened the door. "Hi Riley." His lips spread into a wide-mouth smile, revealing his missing two front teeth. He fastened his little arms around his sister's legs. Riley hugged him back. "Hey Riley. Did you have a good time with your friends?" "It was great, Dad." "Well that explains why you were out so late." "About that. I did that on purpose. I am a bad girl. Deal with it. " "I was joking; you're curfew's not for another hour." "I know. I am very rebellious." "Again? No, this already happened. We're not doing this again." "Fine," Riley said, walking to the refrigerator. "So, how's Farkle doing?" "He's good. Smackle and he couldn't be happier." "How about you?" "What about me?" Riley's parents exchanged a knowing look. "What?" Riley asked. "How's Lucas doing?" Auggie asked from his spot at the coffee table, where he was drawing a picture for Ava. "Huh?" Riley asked. "Wow, Auggie. You're smarter than you look," Cory quipped. "I'm still this many," Auggie said, holding up six fingers. "Wait a minute-what do you mean 'how's Lucas?'" "Riley, remember when your father made you give up your cellphone? Remember when I told you that it's your father's job to give you little tests?" "Of course I do. Lucas taught me how to be a real friend that night." "Well, it's time for another little test." Riley groaned. "Come on, Dad! Can't you wait until school? That's when you're supposed to teach us some historical event that somehow coordinates with my life! You're not supposed to make my life miserable at home!" Cory smiled and walked to his daughter. "Keep this in mind. You told Farkle to go understand love. You might want to give it a shot." "But when Lucas and I dated, it was too much pressure. We're not ready for dating yet." "I didn't say you should date yet. I said you should go understand love."

"Romeo and Juliet. By William Shakespeare." Farkle slammed his hands against his desk. "You're not supposed to teach us English!" "Just accept it, Farkle. Mr. Matthews over here wants us all to learn about whatever is going to help us later in life." "Be quiet, face!" "Hey, Farkle. Over here. If you be a good little genius, I'll let you have a Belgium flag!" Cory said, waving a red, yellow, and black banner in Farkle's face. "Is this what our lives have come to?" Maya asked. "Everyone direct your attention to the front of the room. Romeo and Juliet. It was a story about two people so passionately in love that they died for each other." "But that doesn't make sense," Lucas shouted at Cory. Riley looked at Lucas. "What do you mean?" "Love shouldn't end in death. If they really wanted to be together, they would have stayed alive to be with each other. Instead, they lost each other. If I lost Ri-"Lucas stopped. He put his head down. Everyone else turned away from him and looked back at Cory, but Riley knew him better. She looked at him, and saw red warmth spread like wildfire across his cheeks. He was embarrassed. For the rest of the day, Lucas wouldn't speak a word to anybody. Riley tried to call him, but he wouldn't pick up. He didn't meet her at Topanga's. It wasn't until that night, when Riley was about to put on her pajamas, that Lucas talked to her again. "I know that we decided to just be friends, but I have something for you." Riley walked over to the bay window and sat down next to Lucas. "What's up?" Lucas handed Riley a small square box. She opened it. It was a charm bracelet. A bunny, a rose, and a baseball mitt charm lined up side by side. "Lucas…I love it. Thank you." Riley put the bracelet on. Lucas stared at her. Riley inhaled the scent of pine trees. But this wasn't like the tacky pine fresheners dangling from taxi mirrors. This reminded her of when she went camping for the first time, and first saw the stars. In the city she never got to see them, but upstate, the sky was sprinkled with silver pinpricks every night. She'd always loved that memory. She loved that Lucas reminded her. "Hey Riley…do you want to go someplace?" "I have to ask my parents…" Riley started saying. She stopped herself. Her father was giving her a little test. He wanted her to go understand love. "Sure. Let's go."

"Wow. It's beautiful," Lucas said. They were looking at Van Gogh's masterpiece, Starry Night. They decided to go to an art museum, and had spent over an hour looking at the priceless works of art. Riley had been having a perfectly normal time until she looked at this painting. She stared at it. She looked deep into it. She was never particularly an art fan, but since Maya learned she could paint, she began dragging her to art museums. Riley had learned to think about art differently. She applied that thinking here. "Riley…what are you thinking about?" And she finally understood. Her parents. The bracelet. The memory. Lucas's embarrassment. She was even surprised that she hadn't realized the Romeo and Juliet reference before. Lucas and she had played Romeo and Juliet in the school play, hadn't they? It was all clear. "Riley?" "I love you," Riley said. She was still looking at the painting. "What?" Riley faced her Lucas. Her Lucas, the one who she fell into his lap on the subway. Her Lucas, who had taught her that friends talk, but real friends listen. Her Lucas, who had rejected the pretty Missy Bradford for her. Her Lucas, who she danced with at her first school dance. Her Lucas, who had ridden on a white horse with her. Her Lucas, who had she had went on her first and second dates with. Her Lucas, who had told her he, was worth it. Her Lucas, who was always there for her and always listened to her and always, spent time with her. Her Lucas, who had asked her father for permission to go on a date with her. Her Lucas, who smelled of pine trees and reminded her of her favorite memories. Her Lucas, who she loved. "I love you. I have seen thousands of paintings since Maya discovered she could draw, and none of them has made me realize what this has. This is art. And so are we. We are art. I love you, Lucas." "I love you too, princess." Riley leaned in and kissed him. Lucas kissed her back. Lucas put his arm around his girlfriend. "What do we do now?" "What we always do." They talked. They went back to the bay window and talked for hours. They stayed up the whole night and fell asleep in class. But Cory let them. He let them because his daughter finally understood love. His daughter had discovered what he had when he saw Starry Night. Love.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

GMW fan fiction

Riley and Lucas

The harsh sound of beeping punctured Lucas's eardrums. He glanced over at his alarm clock. It was 6 AM. He groaned and reached his hand out to hit the snooze bar, when he remembered Riley. Riley was his girlfriend now. He turned off his alarm and jumped out of bed. He walked over to his dresser and smiled at his reflection. Today was going to be a good day. "Hey Mamma," he said as he hugged his mother. "Good morning." "Morning, Lucas. I made you a chocolate milkshake." His mother placed a large glass in front of him, which was filled to the brim with light brown liquid, and had a dollop of whipped cream on the top. Stuck in the whipped cream was a square of chocolate. The chocolate reminded Lucas of Riley's eyes, which, in his opinion, were one of the most beautiful things in the world. He grinned. "Thanks Mamma. I love you." He pulled out the chocolate and took a bite. He chewed on it for a while, until it melted in his mouth. It was sweet. Just like his girlfriend, Riley. He sighed. He couldn't wait to see her. "Lucas, is there something you forgot to tell me?" His mother had a mix of suspicion and curiosity in her voice. Lucas stood up. "Mamma, I am in love with Riley Matthews. And she is my girlfriend now." "That's fantastic, honey!" Mrs. Friar hugged her son. "Now, I am very happy for you, but you have to get ready for school. Off you go." Lucas would usually groan, but the thought of seeing Riley again made him want to leave right that second. He was showered, dressed, and out the door in twenty minutes. As he walked to the bus stop, he thought about how amazing his life would be now that Riley was his girlfriend.

"Happy anniversary, princess," Lucas said. He walked over to Riley and hugged her. It had been a year since the day Riley had discovered she was in love with Lucas (with the help of Van Gogh) and it had been the best year of Lucas's life. They went to basketball games, or horseback riding, or a romantic movie, or simply to Topanga's to talk. Lucas had always loved spending time with Riley, but this was different. Something about the time they spent together now that they were a couple was better. It was special. Every moment was joy. Lucas had started to notice the little things, like Riley's eyes, and how content and perfect it felt when he put his arm around her. Lucas had always cared about Riley. But now he was starting to realize that he truly, deeply, adored everything about her. Her bubbly, sweet, innocent personality always brightened his day, no matter what was happening to him at the moment. When he was with her, everything seemed better, and life seemed to be full of hope and opportunities. Riley made his life better, and Riley made him better. Lucas's father had once said that he and Riley were too young to be in love, but Lucas just knew that he was unconditionally in love with Riley, and nobody could change that. "So, where are we going for our special date?" Lucas wanted to surprise her, but he learned a long time ago not to keep secrets from her, because she would find out. "We're going camping." Riley gasped and hugged her boyfriend. "Thank you." Lucas kissed her forehead. "I would do anything for you, princess."

Lucas took a bite out of the square of chocolate Riley was feeding him. The two were sitting at a campfire, eating s'mores, and enjoying the cool autumn evening. Auggie was asleep and Riley's parents were in the cabin, setting up everybody's beds. But Lucas never wanted the campfire to go out. He never wanted his time with Riley to end. "This has been amazing, Lucas. Thank you." "It's not over yet," he said. He pointed upward. Riley looked up. The sky was inky black and covered with silver stars. She put her head on Lucas's shoulder. "It's beautiful," she whispered. Lucas smiled. "Look up." Riley looked up again. Thin silver streaks began to fall down from the sky. "It's a meteor shower!" Riley exclaimed. Lucas nodded. "That's why I wanted to go camping tonight. I knew the meteor shower was tonight, so I wanted you to see it." Riley wrapped her arms around Lucas's waist, and he put his arm around her. They stayed in that position, looking up at the breathtaking meteor shower and enjoying the feeling of being in each other's arms. When it was over, Riley looked into Lucas's hazel eyes. "I love you." "I love you too." They kissed.

"You made this?" Riley asked in wonder. Lucas stared at the masterpiece Maya had created. Riley, Maya, and Lucas were all standing in the art room at school. They were looking at the painting Maya had completed that afternoon. It was beautiful. It was a painting of Riley and Lucas. In the painting, Lucas and Riley were looking into each other's eyes. Lucas had his arms around Riley's waist, and Riley had her arms around his neck. But that wasn't the best part. The best part was that it was a mural. It stretched across the floor, and in the mural were different paintings of Riley and Lucas together. On one side there was the two of them riding on a white horse. On the other side was Riley wearing her purple sequined dress and sitting in Lucas's lap, smiling. The whole mural was scenes of Riley and Lucas together. It was the most incredible mural Lucas had ever seen. "Maya…I knew you were a good artist…but this…this is the best painting I've ever seen," Lucas said breathlessly. "Thanks, Huckleberry," Maya said. She twirled a paintbrush between her fingers. "When did you start painting this?" "I started painting it after the art show. I realized I had a talent, and I should use it. I thought why not use it for two of my favorite people." "Thank you, Maya." Riley walked over to her friend and hugged her. "Thank you. I don't even know what to say." "You don't need to say anything, Heehaw. I get it." Maya flicked paint onto Lucas with her paintbrush. Lucas grabbed a paintbrush and dabbed baby blue paint on Maya's nose. Riley stepped in and dumped a can of purple on his head. The three immediately began to throw paint at each other. In the end, Maya was covered in blue, yellow, and purple paint. Riley was covered in orange, brown, and pink. Lucas was splattered with turquoise, black, and gold. The three stared at each other, realizing the mess they made. But then they laughed. They laughed and laughed and laughed. They kept on laughing, and even weeks after the incident, they still thought it was hilarious. And Lucas would always look back at that day and smile. He would always smile because it not only was a great day, but it was the day he realized he had the approval to date Riley from her best friend. And that was the best gift Maya could ever give him.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The bitter January wind snapped at Riley's cheeks, leaving them pink and her face flushed. The brunette struggled to lift her congealed fingers to her throat so she could fasten the last snap of her jacket. It had been cold all day, but the temperature had dropped even lower that evening. Riley began walking faster, thinking of the warm interior of her house and how cozy that would feel. It felt like a million miles, but she finally made it to her apartment. She went inside and Lucas was there waiting for her, which made the living room feel warmer. "Hi princess." "What are you doing here?" she asked. She walked over to him and hugged him. "I have some news." "What is it?" "Well, you know how I applied to University of California?" "Yeah, Davis," Riley said eagerly. "Well, I got a letter from them." Riley held her breath as Lucas pulled out a rectangular white envelope from his jacket. "Open it!" Riley said. "Are you sure? You haven't heard back from Stanford yet. If they accept me, I don't want to say yes until I know you're coming with me to California." "Lucas, we're sixteen. College isn't for another year. Most kids haven't even applied yet. You just know now because you applied early. Don't worry about me. Just open it." Lucas smiled. "You're right." He sat down as he began to tear open the envelope and pull out the letter. Lucas scanned the paper. "What does it say?" Lucas handed it to her.

 _Dear Mr. Friar,_

 _We thank you for applying to UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. We regret to inform you that you have been rejected. If you have any questions, please contact our admissions counselor._

Riley was stunned. How could they reject him? He was a straight A student, won the Scholar Athlete Award every year since seventh grade, was on the Debate Team, did school plays, a star athlete, fluent in French, class president, and wrote a killer essay for the application. Not to mention that he was polite, kind, loyal, caring, brave, talented, charming, and had perfect social skills. He was awesome. "They were stupid to reject you. You're amazing. Don't beat yourself up." Lucas said nothing. He just hugged her, and she hugged him back. They both simply held on to each other. But Riley would have done anything for him at that point. She knew he was heartbroken, and hated it when he was hurt. She would do anything to make him smile again.

Riley called Maya and Farkle. She knew that if anyone could cheer him up, it would be them. The four sat together in the bay window as Riley explained the situation. When she was done, she waited expectantly for Maya or Farkle to react. But they did nothing. They said nothing. They just looked at Riley blankly. "That's it?" Maya said finally. "What do you mean?" Lucas asked slowly. It was the first time he spoke since he opened the letter. "What she means is that so what? I know you wanted to be a veterinarian Lucas, but there are other colleges. Sure, Davis is a great school, but so is Cornell University." "Or NYU," Riley pointed out. "Or Stanford," Maya added. "Lucas, you might not get to go to the best school in the world, but that doesn't mean you can't still live your dream." "There are other opportunities for you." "The world is bigger than Davis." For a few minutes, Lucas didn't say anything. He stared at the floor. Riley put her hand on his shoulder. "Lucas, I know this is disappointing. But you are an incredible guy. Don't forget all the things you have. You have your family, and you have us. We'll always be here for you." "Will you, Riley?" Lucas burst out suddenly. "What?" "Riley, you're an amazing person. You'll get into Stanford for sure. And where will I be? In a city college, stuck with a mediocre education. You're going to do great things, Riley. And what am I going to do?" "Lucas-""Don't Farkle. Don't start with me. You can't talk either. You're going to Yale, to study political science. And Maya's off to Julliard to be an artist. I'm not going anywhere." "Lucas, there are other schools-""Yeah, there are other schools. But if I'm not good enough for Davis, I'm not good enough to be a veterinarian. And if I can't live my dream, I don't want to go anywhere." "Lucas," Riley said softly. "I'm done. If I can't live my dream, I have nothing left." Lucas began to crawl out the window. "What about me?" Riley yelled. Lucas stopped. "I know this must be hard for you. But you can't just turn your back on everything. You can't just leave all your friends and family lying in the dirt, waiting for you to grow up! There are other places in the world, Lucas! Stop acting like a baby! You can still live your dream! So don't act like your whole life has shut down just because one school said no to you! Don't leave us to step on the broken glass you've thrown behind you!" Riley left the room and slammed the door. Lucas sat down at the window again. He didn't say a word. He just sat there. Maya and Farkle tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't speak. After an hour, the three left silently.

"Riley? Can I talk to you?" "Yeah, Dad. What is it?" "Do you know where Lucas is? He's been absent for a week and his mother won't pick up the phone." Riley took a deep breath. "I don't know where Lucas is. And honestly, I don't care." "Did you two break up?" "Sort of," Riley said. "Sweetie, don't ruin your relationship with Lucas just because you don't want to date anymore. You, Lucas, Maya, and Farkle are some of the best friends I've ever seen. You need each other." "Please. Remind me of one time when I needed Lucas before we dated." "Eighth grade. Class yearbook." "Oh boy," Riley said. "All of you changed because you wanted to please others. But Lucas didn't change at all. He stayed the same for you and your friends." Riley looked at her shoes. "If you want to break up with Lucas, fine. But you cannot let the end of your romantic relationship ruin your friendship. He needs you. And you need him." Riley looked into her father's eyes. "Dang it, Dad, why do you always have to be right?"

"Hi, Lucas" Riley said as the tall teenager sat down at her window. "Thanks for coming over." "So…you want to talk about the fight." "Yeah. I do." "I'm sorry. I was stupid and immature and you have every right to dump me. Go ahead." Riley cocked her head and looked at Lucas thoughtfully. "Lucas, I love you. You were the first boy I ever liked and my first boyfriend. You're everything I ever wanted, and I love being your girlfriend. And I'm not going to break up with you because of the fight." For a split second, Lucas looked relieved. "But you're still going to break up with me?" "Yes. I'm going to break up with you because after the fight, I wanted to shut you out forever. But I need you. I can't let something jeopardize our relationship. I need you in my life as long as possible. I can't lose you, Lucas." Lucas bit his lip. "I can't lose you either, Riley." "So we should stay friends." "If it means I'll always have you, then yes." Lucas and Riley hugged. "Just one last thing." "What?" "One last kiss?" Riley smiled. "Of course." Riley slowly pressed her lips to Lucas's. And then everything stopped. The fight, college, their whole relationship, everything that ever happened stopped. They put their arms around each other and kissed. They kissed for a long time, not thinking about anything, not doing anything. They simply kissed a kiss that would last eternity, a kiss that was nothing compared to any other kiss ever shared. A kiss that would always be remembered and cherished, a kiss that would forever be desired and loved. A kiss that made both Riley and Lucas feel so amazing that there was no word for it. There was no description for that kiss. There was nothing either of them could say later to their friends to describe what occurred with the kiss. The kiss was so perfect, so _right,_ that it was the most magical thing that ever occurred and that ever would occur. The kiss Riley and Lucas shared that night was the best kiss that each of them ever had. That kiss was the best thing that would ever happen to either of them. That kiss was the definition of love.


End file.
